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Hurricane Jade
Hurricane Jade was a long lived and destructive Cape Verde type cyclone. Hurricane Jade is known for being one of the most destructive storms in the history of Florida. It also devastated the New York region. This storm was also the culprit of many floods, landslides, and eroded beaches. Many roads were blocked by fallen trees and landslides, with many being left homeless in the aftermath of the storm. The storm also caused a large impact in tourism and productivity. Meteorological History On July 29, the NHC spotted a large low pressure area in the form of a squall line. The squall eventually formed into a blob shaped group of storms. These eventually formed into a swirl and as such, it was designated a tropical system. The group of storms then picked up a westerly motion. Right: The storms group together south of the Cape Verde. Formation As the storm continued into August, it got more and more defined, until reaching depression status. When it did, it was in the mid Atlantic, moving in a straight line towards the west. The next day, An Arleigh-Burke class destroyer working with the United States Navy recorded winds of 39 MPH and a pressure of 1002 millibars. This allowed the storm to be ranked up to tropical storm Jade. As it moved westward, it soon became a category 1 hurricane. First Landfall The storm retained C1 status up until landfall in Fort de France in the Lesser Antilles. Before landfalling, it made a turn to the southwest. A hurricane warning was issued and alarms sounded. When it made landfall, meteorologists noted an eye was forming. The eye was foggy, but it was clearing up. Shortly after hitting Fort de France, the storm entered the Caribbean, where it grew to a category 2. Major Hurricane Status On August 7, the storm was rapidly approaching category 3 status. Meanwhile, satellite imagery and hurricane hunter flights confirmed the eye had cleared out. Furthermore, the storm swallowed a large group of thunderstorms originating from the amazon jungle, increasing its power. By the time the storm was southwest of Jamaica, it finally reached major hurricane status. At this time, IR-4 imagery and radar reported that the area around the eyewall was weakening. This was a sign of an upcoming eyewall replacement cycle. Category 5 On August 10, the storm reached category 4 status. Fortunately, the eyewall replacement cycle had started, briefly taking energy away from the storm. However, the eyewall replacement cycle unexpectedly stopped and the storm continued growing. The storm then went in between Mexico and Cuba where it reached category 5 status. The gulf loop then allowed to grow to its peak strength of 183 MPH. The shear in the gulf soon stalled its strengthening, though. A high altitude wind shift blew the storm towards Florida. Landfall in Tampa The storm was steadily approaching Tampa when a second eyewall replacement cycle was starting. Just like the first one, this one also dissipated before any damage could be done. By now the storm was causing high surf on the west coast of Florida, and dominating the local weather system. By the 13th, all clouds overhead had been caught in the storm, fueling the outflow. Later that night, residents of Tampa reported rain starting. By midnight, they would've experienced the first rainbands, followed by the eyewall. Winds pushed surge up to 6 miles inland. It continued through florida, eventually exiting as a category 4. Gulf Stream On the 15th, the storm was now hundreds of miles out at sea, following the east coast. Far north, a jet stream reversal had occurred, causing the winds to blow west. With the storm in the gulf stream, it kept category 3 status, until briefly reaching category 4 once more. Landfall in NYC By the 19th, the storm made a shift to the west, due to the jet stream reversal. High waves were recorded slamming the coast of New York City, supported by tropical depression force winds. As the storm neared NYC, high winds began to create surge. Water then began flooding the streets and shutting down all traffic. Shortly after, the eyewall made a head-on hit, causing the city to feel category 3 force winds. Demise The storm then continued off into rural New york state, where it weakened back into a category 1. The forests in the region helped block wind, weakening the ground level windspeed. On August 21, the storm died while over lake Ontario. Preparations Fort de France No major warnings were issued, citing the storms lack of strength. Tampa Many surge and hurricane warnings were issued up and down Florida's west coast, Due to the strength of the storm. The warnings issued for Tampa were: Category 5 hurricane warning, Severe surge warning, Tornado Watch, and a High surf warning. New York City A hurricane warning was issued, as well as a surge warning. Citizens also received a mandatory evacuation order. Impacts Fort de France In Fort de France, structural damage was minimal, however, terrain damage was widespread. Many trees fell and landslides occurred. To make matters worse, citizens also had to worry about flooding due to rainfall. Worst of all, a large landslide completely destroyed the northern section of the city. Right: This tree blocks a road on the outskirts of the city. Tampa Many streets were flooded in Tampa after surge washed out many areas. Many 1 and 2 story homes collapsed due to wind. New York The damage was similar to Sandy, with the subways being flooded and surge destroying power stations. However, this time the winds were strong enough to collapse many low lying homes. Aftermath Tampa To combat looters, the citizens of Tampa brought back the usage of signs threatening looters from hurricane Andrew. The flooding was also worsening daily life, with many having to wade through it to visit relatives and inspect damages. Interestingly, the citizens of Tampa designed a "Resource Raft" to move around the flooded streets and deliver food and water to fellow citizens. The number of rafts grew until the flooding in the streets cleared out and people could walk unrestricted again. By now, the resource rafts were rendered obsolete for normal use, but were now used for quick transport across Tampa bay, as the peninsula across the bay was isolated due to debris blocking the roads. After the retirement of the resource rafts, the citizens began to gather in a daily meeting where those who had stocked up more than others would give away supplies to understocked civilians. This cooperation led to many people in Tampa developing better relations with others, and helping to keep everyone alive. Category:Category 5 hurricanes Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Destructive storms Category:Atlantic hurricanes